10 UAH faculty proposals get cross-college research funding

Ten proposals received $49,999 in total funding from the 2016-17 Cross-College Faculty Research program sponsored by The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development.

The grants help facilitate interdisciplinary interaction between UAH faculty from more than one college around a common research theme.

Proposals were submitted for review from UAH tenured and tenure-track faculty who had a desire to create interdisciplinary, cross-college research groups on campus.

“I firmly believe that interdisciplinary research activity by our faculty often leads to external funding, and these seed grants are designed to support collaboration between faculty of different colleges who agree to work together on research efforts leading to a proposal to an external funding agency,” says Dr. Ray Vaughn, vice president for research and economic development.

The collaborative teams meet on a regular basis to share research ideas. Each team must prepare at least one proposal to an external funding agency within the first 12 months after receiving the award.

There is an opportunity for continued funding for the second year of a previously awarded CCFR effort if the research group is successful in its first year.

“I believe this program has been a catalyst for the increase in UAH external proposal submissions,” Dr. Vaughn says. “My hope is that it leads to more novel proposals that will be accepted and funded by those agencies receiving and reviewing these proposals.